LONDON – Britain’s center-left Labour Party has achieved a historic victory in the general election, according to partial results released on Friday. This significant win ends the Conservative Party’s 14-year rule and marks the beginning of a new political era in the UK. Labour’s leader, Keir Starmer, a 61-year-old former lawyer, will take over as prime minister from Rishi Sunak, who has been in office since 2022.
The UK elects a party rather than a specific leader to govern, and of the past five Conservative prime ministers, only three were directly elected. “Change begins now,” Starmer declared in an early Friday address after Sunak conceded defeat. Although results were still coming in, Labour had already secured a majority, with an exit poll projecting Labour to win 410 seats compared to the Conservatives’ 131 in the 650-seat Parliament, giving Labour a majority of 170. The exit poll was conducted by Ipsos for BBC News, ITV News, and Sky News.
Sunak described the outcome as a “sobering verdict.” Announcing his resignation outside No. 10 Downing Street, he said, “I have heard your anger, disappointment, and I take responsibility for this loss.” Starmer formally became prime minister on Friday after being invited to form a government by King Charles in a ceremony known as the “kissing of the hands.”
Labour’s victory comes after a period of significant challenges for the Conservative government, including Brexit, record immigration levels, and deteriorating public services. Experts suggest that voters rejected the Conservatives due to their inability to address the cost of living crisis, which has tarnished the party’s reputation for financial competence. The UK’s economy has stagnated since the 2008 financial crisis, with salaries barely rising after adjusting for inflation.
“People have just had enough of them,” said Tom Giles, a 32-year-old office worker in central London, referring to the Conservatives. Tim Bale, a professor of politics at Queen Mary University of London, noted that the Conservatives had been in power “for too long for people to forgive,” citing issues like stagnant salaries, poor infrastructure, and underfunded public services.
Sunak, 44, was Britain’s first Hindu leader and is extremely wealthy, with his wife being an heiress to an Indian tech firm fortune. He took over from Liz Truss, who resigned after just 44 days in office following a controversial tax-cutting agenda. Truss had succeeded Boris Johnson, who stepped down amid revelations of breaking COVID-19 lockdown rules. Before Johnson, Theresa May and David Cameron also served as Conservative prime ministers, with Cameron resigning after losing the Brexit referendum in 2016.
The Labour Party last won a general election in 2005 under Tony Blair, who secured a record majority for the party in 1997. Starmer has pledged to tackle the sluggish economy and underfunded public services without raising taxes. “Today Britain can begin a new chapter,” Starmer said, promising a “new age of hope and opportunity after 14 years of chaos and decline.”
Labour plans to fund its initiatives by closing tax loopholes for the wealthy, ending tax breaks for private school fees, and being a more prudent steward of the economy. However, some economists have questioned the specifics of Labour’s growth strategy, noting a lack of a “grand theory” of growth.
In an effort to limit the scale of the Conservative defeat, Sunak had warned against giving Labour a “supermajority” in Parliament, arguing that his party could still provide effective opposition. Despite the significant political shift, the UK’s close relationship with the U.S. on defense, intelligence-sharing, and trade is expected to remain unchanged. However, Labour is likely to be more comfortable with President Joe Biden or another Democratic president than with former President Donald Trump, who was unpredictable on trade issues.
Over the past century, the Conservatives have been the most electorally successful British political party, leading 17 governments compared to Labour’s eight. One notable outcome of this election is the election of Nigel Farage, a close ally of Trump and leader of the right-wing Reform UK party, to Parliament for the first time. Farage, an anti-immigration, EU-skeptic political figure, has campaigned for Brexit and aims to challenge the Conservatives as an opposition force to Labour in the next general election, expected in 2029. Reform UK lawmakers won four seats.
The Labour Party’s sweeping victory marks a significant shift in British politics, ending 14 years of Conservative rule and ushering in a new era under Keir Starmer’s leadership. The challenges ahead are substantial, but the promise of change has resonated with a weary electorate eager for a fresh start.
Source: BBC News, ITV News, Sky News, Ipsos
